SJPH Announces Strategic Cardiology Partnership

St. James Parish Hospital is extremely excited to announce a cardiology partnership with Ochsner Health System. The partnership will benefit patients and community members through continuous cardiology support from Ochsner Medical Center—Kenner.

Through this affiliation, benefits to patients and the community rise exponentially. St. James Parish Hospital can offer patients access to local services and decreased travel while Ochsner brings a group of skilled cardiologists, world-class cardiac care and quicker, more integrated access to specialized procedures as needed.

“After sending out a request for proposals, we conducted several meetings between hospital executives, board members, employed physicians and reputable cardiology providers. It was very important for us to partner with a quality provider that would bring the best value to our hospital and patients,” said Mary Ellen Pratt, St. James Parish Hospital CEO. “This long-term partnership will allow more local patients to be cared for at home, 24/7 cardiology coverage for inpatients and ER consultations, seamless transfer options, access to a national leader in cardiac care, outpatient cardiology clinics Monday through Friday and quicker turnaround times on cardiology diagnostic tests.”

In addition, a group of Ochsner cardiologists, led by Dr. Lewis Siegel, will provide direct patient care in our region and build additional solutions to address the specific needs of St. James Parish Hospital patients. Ongoing support from Ochsner Medical Center—Kenner cardiologists means more local patients can be cared for right here at home.

Representatives and physicians from Ochsner are equally as excited about partnering with the hospital to bring value to the community. “We are excited to expand our strategic partnership with St. James Parish Hospital to include services beyond our current stroke telemedicine partnership,” said Warner Thomas, president and CEO, Ochsner Health System. “The expansion of cardiology services and procedures right here in St. James Parish will be a great asset to the community. We look forward to continuing to work with the great team of physicians and staff at St. James to maintain the quality of care its patients have come to know and expect.”

St. James Parish Hospital is a Joint Commission Accredited Facility that has served the River Parishes for over 50 years. The hospital is committed to offering patients excellent, quality and compassionate care while continuously striving to bring more services home to the local community.

Ochsner Health System is southeast Louisiana’s largest non-profit, academic, multi-specialty, healthcare system. Driven by a mission to Serve, Heal, Lead, Educate and Innovate, coordinated clinical and hospital patient care is provided across the region by 10 hospitals, both owned and managed, and more than 40 health centers in Louisiana. Ochsner has been named the Consumer Choice for Healthcare in New Orleans for 18 consecutive years and is the only Louisiana hospital recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a “Best Hospital” across eight specialty categories. For more information, please visit ochsner.org and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.